Functionalism

Development and Founding

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
 Survival of the Fittest
 Social Darwinism
 Synthetic Philosophy-the idea that knowledge
and experience can be explained in terms of
evolutionary principles
 William James (1842-
1910)
• Probably the second most well known
historical figure in psychology
• Neurasthenia
• Principles of Psychology
• Hugo Munsterberg
 William James (Continued)
 Stream of Consciousness-Continuous and
personal to the individual. It cannot be
divided up for analysis.
 Pragmatism: validity of ideas is measured by
their practical consequences
 James’ Theory of Emotions
 Pre-James  James
I am scared I run
------- ---- I am scared
I run
 James’ Idea of Self
 Material Self (body, family, all things owned)
 Social Self (self known by others)
 Spiritual Self (states of consciousness, one’s
own objective reality)
 Habit
 Anidea of an action precedes the
causes of the action. Habits are
formed when an activity is repeated.
Women in the Field
• Variability hypothesis: The notion
that men show a wider range and
variation of physical and mental
development than women; the abilities
of women are seen as more average.
 Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930)
 Helen Bradford Thompson (1874-1947)
 Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886-1939):
Granville Stanley Hall

• AKA G. Stanley Hall

• Organized the first psychology laboratory in
the United States
• Founded the first psychology journal
• Helped organize and was the first president
of the American Psychological Association
• Organized a meeting of European
psychoanalysis, giving American
Psychology its first look at psychoanalysis.
Recapitulation Theory

• Recapitulation Theory: Hall’s

idea that the psychological
development of children repeats
the history of the human race.
 The Chicago School
 John Dewey (1859-1952)

 James Rowland Angell (1869-1949)

 Harvey Carr (1873-1954)

 Reflex Arc
The connection between sensory stimuli and
motor responses. The concept proposes that
three elements of the reflex
 Sensory processes
 Brain processes
 Motor response
Angell’s Perspective
 Functional psychology is interested in mental
operations, not conscious elements
 Mental processes mediate between the needs
of the organism and the environments. Mental
Functions help the organism survive.
 Mind and Body cannot be separated, they act
as a unit in an organism’s struggle for survival.
Robert Sessions Woodworth (1869-
1962)
 Dynamic Psychology: Woodworth’s systems
of psychology which was interested in the
causal factors and motivations on feelings
and behavior.
Criticisms of Functionalism
 Is there a real definition somewhere?
 Is it real psychology? Structuralists say
no.
 It’s not practical (but guess who said that?)
Good things about
Functionalism
 Animal Psychology
 Incorporates all types of research
 Considered truly American